Crank - Revenge-Minded Hit Man: DVD Review

by Kam Williams

Riveting DVD Revolving around Revenge-Minded Hit Man

Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) was ready to retire from his career as a mob hit man in order to settle down with his clueless girlfriend, Eve (Amy Smart), when he was injected by rival (Jose Pablo Cantillo) with a slow-acting poison certain was to stop his heart in an hour unless he figures out a way to prevent his ticker from grinding to a stop.

So, with the proverbial Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, Chev proceeds to ingest whatever stimulants he can get his hands on, while making the most of what might be his last minutes on Earth. Crisscrossing Los Angeles like a madman on a mission, he takes no prisoners, seeking vengeance and an antidote as he tries to save his naive moll from the clutches of his tormentor.

Crank is a high-octane, edge-of-your-seat, roller coaster ride with a manic sense of urgency since the desperate Chev must maintain a pulse or perish. Whether jabbing himself with an EpiPen, snorting nasal sprays up both nostrils, having sex on a crowded street in Chinatown, or deliberately scalding his own arm in a waffle iron to jumpstart his heart, he never runs out of inventive ways to stay alert.

Be forewarned, however, this ethically-challenged production ups the ante not only in terms of outrageously gruesome gore and politically-incorrect antics, but also when it comes to indulging in gratuitous nudity, sexuality, and profanity. That being said, Crank is relentless as it proceeds to assault the senses tirelessly with wave after wave of momentum-building intensity. Plus, the picture benefits immeasurably from constantly clever dialogue and a litany of humorous asides which serve to lighten the more macabre aspects of this attention-deficit adventure designed with the Joystick Generation in mind. For better or worse, the cinematic equivalent of crack.

Excellent (4 stars) Rated R for graphic carnality, frequent female frontal and male posterior nudity, pervasive profanity, ethnic slurs, incessant drug use, gruesome sadism and eroticized violence. Running time: 83 minutes Studio: Lions Gate Home Entertainment

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